Brother
by your-arms-around-me
Summary: Regina had a relationship with the real Prince James back in the Enchanted Forest. Goes back and forth between her life then and her marriage in Storybrooke five years after season two. AU events. Rated M for several reasons: smut, language, violence... Trigger Warning: self-inflicted miscarriage.


**_Okay, so I've been wanting to write a Regina/James story for a long time, and Grace de Gold requested it. Somehow it turned into a really long, angsty story. But there's a happy ending, I promise._**

**_Trigger Warning: self-inflicted miscarriage._**

* * *

_You were always so far away._  
_I know that pain so don't you run away._  
_Like you used to do._

_Alice in Chains  
"__Brother"_

* * *

**_The Enchanted Forest_**

Regina approached the sitting room. King George was to visit her that day. _This should be fun_, she thought. After making a deal with Rumplestiltskin, she had broken off trade with his kingdom, and he was certainly not pleased. Part of Regina wanted to reject his visit, but George had always been quite irritating, and since she was no longer involved in trade with him, she no longer had to be cordial.

She unpinned her updo as she walked with a simple wave of her hand, allowing ebony curls to cascade down her back, a few pieces falling in front of her shoulders. The visiting royal had never been able to control his gaze when the Evil Queen was around. It was part of the reason it had been so easy to get the better of him. He was so consumed by lust that it was almost pathetically easy for her to get whatever she wanted from him. Her heels clicked along the floor as she approached her guest, but when she arrived, she saw a much younger man.

He was facing the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back. His light hair was short, militant, and he stood with an air of royalty, even as his face tilted down as he watched the flickering of the flames.

He turned when he heard her footsteps, and she was met with the most piercing blue eyes she'd ever seen. She lifted her chin and quirked an eyebrow expectantly.

She wasn't expecting his next move.

He smiled at her.

She furrowed her brows in confusion. She knew George had a son, but any man raised by that man couldn't have grown to be anything but arrogant, sarcastic, and lustful. "You must be Queen Regina," he commented, smile firmly in place. He then bowed at the waist. "My name is Prince James. My father sent me to discuss some business with you."

"I must admit I was expecting the subject to be addressed; I did _not_, however, expect him to send someone instead of facing me on his own," she quipped darkly.

"My father wanted me to deal with diplomacy in preparation for the day I become King," he explained.

A chuckle escaped the Queen's lips. "My dear prince, you and I both know that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with the fact that your father is both terrified by and enthralled with me." She moved to pour them drinks. "The Evil Queen isn't exactly the most logical practice round."

"Well, why wouldn't he be enthralled by you?" James responded. "You're intriguing, and, if I may say so, quite beautiful."

Regina smirked. "Thank you, dear," she said. "But it's not going to change my mind about trade with your kingdom."

James frowned. "Your Majesty—"

"Please, dear," the Evil Queen interrupted with a wave of her hand. "Call me Regina." She sat on the chaise and draped her arms over the back.

"Regina," he said, his confidence building as he moved closer to her. "Perhaps there's some agreement we could come to. Some…arrangement?" he said, sitting next to her and relaxing into the chair. "Or you could at least explain to me why the sudden change."

She smirked slightly when he mentioned an arrangement. "My dear," she said, "As" she looked him up and down, eyeing him like a piece of meat to be devoured as she leaned closer to him, "_tempting _as your offer is, I'm afraid my hands are tied. A deal was struck, and now I am unable to change it."

"Unable or unwilling?" The prince challenged.

The brunette chuckled and crossed one leg over the other, flashing a bit of skin as she did so. The slit in the black fabric of her gown was cut awfully high. She saw it didn't go unnoticed by her guest, whose eyes flicked from her own to the olive skin of her legs. "I've made a deal with someone whose deals are never broken," she explained. "Surely your father will understand what I mean," she added. "Now," she said, "it's getting rather late. Surely you don't want to go all the way back to your kingdom now. You'll be travelling all night."

"What are you proposing, Regina?"

She smiled mischievously before lacing her voice with an innocent tone. "I'm proposing that you and your men stay the night here and leave tomorrow morning."

"Oh, really?" He said darkly. "And where do you propose we sleep?"

She smirked. "Well there are plenty of rooms in the castle. However, if you would prefer," she added, her fingernail tracing down the middle of his chest as their faces grew closer together, "you could join me in my bedchamber."

"I'm sure you realize how inappropriate that would be considering the current rift between our kingdoms," he husked.

"Which is exactly why I thought the offer would be appealing to you," she responded, abruptly moving away from him and striding across the room. "I know your reputation, dear James. You care about three things." She looked out the window. "Money, power…" She turned and looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes boring into his. "And most importantly, sex." She smirked as his eyes visibly dilated with lust. "Now," she said, turning to face him head on. "Come here."

He rose, a certain arrogance defining his movements as he strode toward her with confidence, as if even though she was giving orders, he was the one in control. In a sort of mock tenderness, he ran his strong fingers through her soft hair. Inadvertently, she tilted her head into his touch and her eyes flicked to his lips, effectively giving him permission to make his move.

The prince leaned down and pressed his lips to hers firmly.

**_Storybrooke, Mayoral Mansion_**

Regina leaned on the doorframe of the kitchen, watching her husband make breakfast. She was amazed to have found love again, even after three years of marriage.

"You know I can see you, right?" He quipped as he turned a pancake.

The mayor chuckled lightly and moved toward him, wrapping his arms around her husband from behind as best she could. When he plated breakfast, he turned around and kissed her on the forehead and ran his fingers through her short tresses, his eyes flicking to her stomach. "How are you feeling today?" He asked.

Her hands held her growing belly. "They keep fighting in there," she said. "Hopefully not a sign of how things will be once they're born."

He chuckled and nodded. "Let's hope not." He brushed his calloused thumb across her cheek tenderly before grabbing her plate. "For you, my love."

She smiled brightly. It was amazing how much this man had done for her. "Thank you," she said. Henry came tumbling into the room as soon as his mom had sat down. "Henry, you haven't left yet?" His mother was astonished.

"The snooze button is the devil," he said simply, grabbing strawberry Pop-Tarts from the pantry.

"Good luck today, sweetheart," Regina said, handing her now sixteen-year-old, almost six-foot-tall son his car keys. "Don't speed," she ordered softly.

"Mom, it's the SAT, I don't think they'll let me in after it's started just because the mayor—"

"_Don't speed."_

"Okay, mom," he said, giving her an obligatory eye roll and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love you guys," he said.

"Love you, too," they replied. "Now _go_," Regina insisted.

Henry went running out the door to his car.

"I can't believe how old he is," the brunette mused.

"In a couple years, he'll be off to coll—"

"No! No C-word yet! I'm not ready for that."

He chuckled. "Well by then, we'll be dealing with three children in their terrible twos. You'll barely even notice he's gone," he teased before leaning down and kissing her firmly, something about it different than any way he'd kissed her before.

Despite the obvious resemblance, she'd never once thought until that kiss to think of his brother.

**_The Enchanted Forest – Same Night_**

Regina pulled James into her bedchamber and threw him onto her bed. She then unlaced the front of her dress, allowing the inky black fabric to pool on the floor at her feet and leave her in nothing but her corset. The Evil Queen almost never wore underwear.

She climbed on top of him predatorily, immediately unlacing the front of his jacket, revealing his loose-fitting, low-opening shirt. She inhaled, hissing through her teeth as she appraised his form, rocking her hips into the growing bulge in his pants. She leaned down and kissed him, the two royals immediately fighting for dominance as his tongue slipped past her lips.

The prince took the Queen's surprisingly small body and turned it over, pinning her on her back, her arms above her head. There was a glint in her eye at the idea of being dominated. After ruling over the kingdom with such an iron fist ever since the King passed, it was exciting to relinquish some control.

His lips attached to her pulse point, fervently kissing and nipping at the skin of her neck, feeling her throat rumble against his lips with each moan. Regina's hands snaked under his shirt, feeling the muscles of his torso. In response he sad up and pulled his jacket off, followed by the billowy shirt underneath. She assessed his body lustfully, sitting up and pressing kisses to his flesh as his hands moved to unlace her corset, something she realized he'd obviously done countless times, as it was off more quickly than even her chambermaids could manage.

He lay her back down on the bed and kissed her lips before working his way down her body, worshipping it with every touch, every kiss and working his way back up to kiss her full lips once again, their tongues battling for control.

Regina's hands moved to his pants, quickly unfastening his belt and unbuttoning the pants. Her hand snuck into his underwear, grasping his already hard member and making him groan, "God, Regina."

She smirked in true Evil Queen fashion as his pants came off and his penis lined up with her sex. He thrust inside her quickly, making her cry out as his full length penetrated her. "Fuck!" She screamed.

He bent down and pressed a forceful kiss to her mouth again without slowing his hips. One of his hands moved between them, rubbing circles on her clit as he continued to fuck the queen.

Regina wanted to change positions, so with more strength than he expected, she turned them over so she was on top, riding his cock hard and fast. His hands moved up to her breasts and pinched the nipples roughly, making her whimper at the pleasurable pain. "Yessss," she hissed.

James moved his strong hands to her hips, bringing her harder down on him until finally she cried out his name as her body fell over the edge and she clawed at his chest, angry red marks forming down his torso. With several more thrusts, he joined her, releasing himself inside of her, his breath catching before he began to slow it down.

She slumped on top of him as they both attempted to slow their heart rates and breathing. "God that was amazing," he said through heavy exhales.

"Indeed it was," she agreed moving to sit up. She removed his softening member from inside herself and rolled onto her back, looking over at the Prince.

**_Storybrooke, Granny's Inn – Six Months Later_**

"Holy shit," David breathed as his wife's body rolled off of him. "That was amazing."

She laughed, a sense of déjà vu nipping at her brain from the sound of those words coming out of his mouth. "Are you sure it's not just because it's been so long?" She quipped. The triplets were born four months ago, and since then, the couple hadn't had time for sex. It seemed that every time they got started, one of their three new children would start crying, effectively killing the mood.

He laughed softly before rolling over on top and kissing his wife passionately. "I'm sure," David replied. "It was amazing because you are gorgeous, and sexy, and I love you." He punctuated each reason with a kiss, pulling away from the final one with a giant, stupid grin on his face.

Regina was certain she had a similar smile on her lips as well. "I love you too," she said, leaning up to kiss him again. "Thank God Grace was available to help Henry babysit,' she said. As responsible as her son was, she knew he couldn't handle babysitting three babies on his own. "I've missed this. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, Gina," he said. "Now, you relax and enjoy," he said, trailing kisses down her stomach to her waiting heat.

**_The Enchanted Forest – Two months later_**

James had made Regina come four times already, and now she was on the brink of her fifth orgasm of the night. She clenched her teeth as his fingers curled inside of her and cried out in pleasure when his teeth bit down on her clit, causing the pressure to release inside of her in the form of a powerful orgasm.

"Are you worn out, your majesty?" James teased.

"I am, indeed," she said, her chest rising and falling heavily.

The prince moved so he was lying on his right side, facing her. The middle finger of his left hand traced abstract patterns on the olive skin of her stomach. "So I suppose I've succeeded," he told her with a smile.

"I must admit, your reputation suggests that you'd be far more self-involved in bed. But you're actually quite the generous lover," Regina told him.

"I like to think I'm useful for something," he joked, kissing her again. They always had amazing sex, but lately the kind of sex they had was changing. It was becoming less rough and more tender, almost loving. That unnerved Regina terribly.

"Well, I must be going," the Evil Queen said, abruptly rising from the bed to clothe herself. "Havoc isn't going to wreak itself, now is it?"

James rose from the bed and sidled up behind Regina, wrapping his arms around her petite waist and placing a soft, lingering kiss to her left shoulder. "Stay," he whispered quietly. "Just stay the night. You can poof back to your castle in the morning." She continued to dress. "Please?" He added after a moment.

"Don't beg, dear. It's pathetic and unattractive," she snapped.

He furrowed his brow as she pulled out of his embrace, retrieving her skirt from the floor and using her magic to put it in place. "I don't understand you," he said. "One moment you're soft and gentle and almost loving and then you turn into _this_."

She turned to him, a smirk playing on her features. "And what do you mean, dear? Just because I fuck you like I do? Like I'm making love to the love I lost?"

"Reg—"

"Would it bother you if I told you that when we fuck, I picture his face? That when I scream your name, I'm really thinking about his? That when I look into your eyes, I'm reminded of the poor stable boy I loved? Would any of that really trouble you?"

"Yes."

She was taken back by his answer. The reality was that everything she said was true early in their relationship. But as they proceeded, Daniel moved further and further from her mind. And that terrified her. She wouldn't love again. She promised herself she wouldn't ever love another man. But James had gotten under her skin and somehow weaseled his way into her heart. "I love you, Gina," he said simply.

"Shut up," she retorted.

"I love you."

"No you don't."

"I love you."

"Well I don't love you!" She screamed, instantly turning on him and kissing him roughly, refusing to allow herself to be tender with him. She bit his lower lip, drawing the tiniest bit of blood. "Love is weakness. I lust after you," she husked. "I relish in the feeling of controlling you. I enjoy the escape I get when I fuck you. But _love_?"

She threw him onto the bed with her magic and crawled on top of his naked form, raking her nails down his chest roughly and making him hiss. "_Never_."

**_Storybrooke, Mayoral Mansion – Two Nights Later_**

Regina sat in the rocking chair in the triplets' nursery. She'd just put them down for their naps a little while ago and was sitting in the chair trying to get a little shut-eye herself.

She had babies. She had three little children of her own flesh and blood. Hers and David's. Cora was the first of the three to come into the world. Regina had wanted to name one of the girls after her mother. David already gave Emma the middle name Ruth, so he didn't protest to not naming any of the triplets after her. Cora had Regina's nose and lips and David's eyes, and perfectly enough, Regina's mother's genes had gone on to her, giving her tendrils of red all over her little scalp.

The second of the triplets was Reuben, named for David's real father. But he was the spitting image of his mother. Darker-skinned than his barely older sister, he was the chubbiest of the three and the quietest. Reuben hardly ever woke them in the middle of the night.

Regina was then woken up by her third child, and she stole to his crib, immediately taking him in her arms and soothing him. He always slept easy in her arms, so she took him to her rocking chair.

_"__The sun has gone from the shining skies._  
_The dandelions have closed their eyes.  
The stars are lighting their lamps to see  
if babes and squirrels and birds and bees  
are sound asleep as they should be."_

"James refusing to sleep again?" David asked quietly from the doorway. Regina nodded, never taking her eyes away from her son. "From what I've heard of my brother, he was stubborn, too. And quite the attention-seeker. Just like our little boy."

Regina smiled softly as she soothed the blue-eyed, brown-haired little boy in her arms. "Why did you pick the name?" She asked.

David shrugged and walked over to her, kneeling beside the chair and looking at the baby. "I guess it was because I never knew him. I guess I wanted to feel like I did." He kissed his wife's shoulder. They sat in comfortable silence before he asked, "Did you know my brother?"

She nodded and tried to remove any sense of emotional attachment from her voice. "Yes, I did," she told him.

"What was he like? I mean I've heard he was kind of a jerk, but he must've had _some _redeeming qualities."

Regina nodded again. "He did. He and I got along. But then again I was the Evil Queen when I knew James." She stood and walked to the baby's crib, gently putting him down. "But he was much kinder in private than he was to the rest of the world. I think George groomed him to be something he truly wasn't." Regina walked back over and sat in the rocking chair. "I think if he'd grown up with you and his real parents, he would have turned out more like you."

"Well sure. Twin thing," David noted. There was a long pause before he spoke again, the realization dawning on him. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

Regina pursed her lips. "I did."

**_The Enchanted Forest – One Month Later_**

"Your Majesty, you have a visitor."

"Who is it, Berkeley?" She asked as she continued looking out the window.

"It's me."

Regina turned toward the familiar voice. "James," she said coldly. "What are you doing here?" She waved Berkeley away, requesting privacy.

"You know what I'm doing here, Gina."

"Don't call me that," she said.

"I'll call you whatever I damn well please."

She snarled and flung her hand out, pinning him to the wall. "No, you won't. Or I'll do far worse."

"You can't possibly top what you've done to me," he retorted, not even bothering to fight his restraints.

"I could rip out your heart."

He scoffed. "You did that when you lied about not loving me," the prince said. "Besides, you wouldn't kill the father of your unborn child."

Regina's eyes widened and her focus faltered, releasing him from his restraints. He took a step toward her. "How did you know?" She said.

"So you'll lie about loving me but not about carrying my baby?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I _don't _love you."

He took an aggressive step forward, spitting, "Liar! You're a goddamn liar, Regina. You _do _love me."

"No! I love Daniel! He's my True Love. Not you!"

"Yeah, well he's _dead_."

He should have seen her hand coming, but he was too filled with rage to even notice until it hit the flesh of his cheek much harder than he would have thought.

"You bastard," she spat.

He rubbed at his stinging cheek. The woman could definitely cause some physical pain even without magic. "I'm sorry, Gina," he said softly. "That was uncalled for."

The hard look on her face remained. "Fine," she said, folding her arms. "Now did you just come here to confirm a rumor or was there something else?"

"Did you get my letters?"

"Yes," she breathed.

He nodded slightly. "Why didn't you respond?"

"I didn't know what to say," she whispered.

His blue eyes were blurred with tears as he stepped toward her, taking her face in his hands and pressing their foreheads together. "Just say you love me," he choked out.

"I can't," she breathed, a tear falling down her face as her hands gripped his strong shoulders. "I can't love you."

"Yes you can, Gina. You _do_. Just say it. _Please_."

She choked out a sob. "James," she pleaded. "I can't."

It wasn't clear who initiated it, but their lips crashed against one another desperately.

He pulled her close to him, kissing her more passionately than he ever had, needing to communicate how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. And she let him. She gave herself over to him completely. For the first time, she wasn't fighting to dominate the kiss. The Evil Queen relinquished all control to her prince.

After a long few moments, their lips pulled apart. "Gina," he whispered. "You wouldn't be able to kiss me like that if you didn't love me. All you have to do is say it and I'm yours. Forever."

She choked out another sob. Struggling to catch her breath, she looked down at the floor to regain her strength before looking up at him again. He had his answer.

He took her face in his hands again and kissed her so gently that she wasn't even quite sure if they touched. "I love you," he whispered when they pulled apart. He took a few steps backward toward the door, not wanting to tear his eyes away from the woman he'd fallen in love with. "Goodbye, Gina."

He turned, and when he was out of sight, she crumbled to the floor, allowing the tears to fall freely. "I love you, James," she whispered.

**_Storybrooke, Mayoral Mansion – Four Days Later_**

Regina lay in her bed. She had put the triplets to sleep and was turning in early herself, but her husband hadn't returned yet, and she was worried. She had a hard time sleeping without him next to her. Especially when she wasn't sure where he was.

"_When I touch you, I understand what magic must feel like when it courses through your veins."_

Regina tensed at the sound of the familiar words.

"_The warmth that runs through me every time your lips meet mine is incomparable even to the sun. The love I feel for you moves me to be a stronger man, a better man."_ The door clicked shut and footsteps approached her from behind. "_Until you tell me how you truly feel, I will continue to love you enough for both of us, and when you finally bare your soul and tell me how you love me, that love will increase tenfold." _The footsteps stopped. "You loved him."

She sat up and turned toward him, her feet touching the floor. "I did," she whispered. "I would have thought you'd figured that out years ago," she said.

"Why?"

**_The Enchanted Forest – Two Weeks Later_**

Regina was finally ready to tell him. Truth be told, she was ready the moment he'd walked away. But she was too proud to admit it. In a swirl of purple magic, she appeared at the front gate of King George's Palace.

She was escorted inside and told to wait for Prince James in the sitting room. But she couldn't sit. She was too excited. The young woman inside her was frantic. All she wanted was to express how much she loved him. She heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall and turned around, a wide grin on her face. But her brow furrowed at the sight before her.

His face was the same. His voice was the same. He dressed the same. But this was not her James. This was some imposter. If she didn't believe her mother to be dead, she would have thought Cora was playing some cruel trick on her. "Your Majesty," he greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She inhaled sharply through the nose before sliding her Evil Queen mask into place. "Oh, Prince James, I was simply stopping by to let you know I've reconsidered your offer. I think that it _would _be beneficial for our kingdoms to reestablish trade. I'm sorry for the trouble I've put you through. I know how much you've struggled over the last few months…but it seems as though the deal I made was completed and I am no longer bound by it." She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "So thank you, your highness."

She strode away, leaving the new stand-in dumbfounded. "Ah, Regina, what a pleasant surprise!" The Evil Queen could feel George's eyes boring into her backside as he emerged from a nearby room.

In a fit of rage, she flung him against the wall, choking him. "You will stop ogling me as you do or I _will _kill you. I don't care if this is your castle."

He nodded fervently before she released him. "So," she said, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her skirt. "Who's the imposter?"

King George was taken back, but he attempted to retain his composure. "I don't know what—"

"Don't lie to me, George. Who is he?"

"Is it that obvious?" He asked.

She let out a mirthless chuckle. "I've been working closely with your son over the last few months. I know him fairly well."

"Oh, I'd say you know him more than _fairly _well. Perhaps you know him a little _too _well."

She snarled at the older man. "Is he dead?"

"Yes," George said quietly. "He was killed in battle."

Regina nodded, holding back her tears. "My condolences, George," she said before disappearing in her usual fashion.

**_Storybrooke, Mayoral Mansion - Same Night_**

"Why were you in the crypt?" She asked.

"The whole Evil Queen thing," he said. "You told me to pick my favorite dress and you'd wear it. But you left the box of letters open. So I went to put them all away and realized what they were and who they were from."

"So you invaded my privacy," she pointed out.

"Gina, you've lied to me for the last five years. You never told me about your relationship with James. That's kind of an important detail." He sat on the bed next to her. "Why now?" He asked softly. "Just when we got everything we wanted, you go reliving a past relationship. Why?"

**_The Enchanted Forest – Late that Night_**

The Evil Queen rested her head against the back of the tub as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks. Her body was immersed in her own blood, but she was too exhausted to remove herself. She just sat in a bath of her own tissue and fluid mixed with lukewarm bathwater, mourning the death of her lover and child, the knitting needle fallen on the floor by the claw feet of the tub.

She was broken.

**_Storybrooke, Mayoral Mansion - Same Night_**

"Is that why you thought we couldn't have kids?" He asked quietly, rubbing her shoulder.

Regina wiped a single tear from her cheek. "Partly, but even before my pregnancy, I thought I couldn't have children," she explained. "When you get raped around eight hundred times and don't get pregnant, you begin to wonder if it's your fault. Especially when you're expected to produce an heir."

David turned her face toward him. "Baby, that was _not _your fault. The King was in his sixties. It would have been a medical marvel if he'd been able to produce a child."

She sniffled and stood, walking away. He followed her lead but maintained a distance between them. "But we didn't know that in our land," she said quietly. "I thought I was barren. All I ever wanted was children. A family. And then when James… I didn't want my child to grow up with a mother who couldn't love it because she would be constantly reminded of its father."

David was silent for a moment. "Is that why you married me?" He asked quietly. "Because I was the next best thing to James?"

"No!" She immediately protested.

"How can I be sure of that? How can I know that you don't think of me as him? That you married me because I look like him?"

"Because I love you!" She shouted back, tears streaming down her face.

There was a timid knock at the door before Henry popped his head in. "Uh, are you guys okay?"

"Yes, Henry, we're just having a bit of a disagreement," she said, softening her voice and turning away from him.

"Okay…well Cora's crying again."

"Go back to sleep, Henry. You've got a final in the morning," David said. "I'll go check on her," he said.

Henry nodded and headed back to his room. His stepfather moved toward the door and looked at his wife sadly before heading to the nursery.

Regina sat on the edge of her bed with her face in her hands. She couldn't believe how stupid this all was. She certainly didn't marry David because he looked like James. She married him because she loved him.

"Mom?"

She quickly wiped away her tears and looked up at her son. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Go to bed."

"I can't sleep," he said. "I'm really nervous about my algebra test."

She grinned slightly. Her son was trying to take her mind off the argument she'd just had with David. "You're going to do great," she said, wrapping an arm around him and hugging him close. When he was young, he would have rested his head on her shoulder and her hand would have stroked his arm soothingly. But he was so tall now that their roles were reversed. And it was appropriate because even though their words suggested otherwise, he was the one comforting his mother.

"Can you help me with one of the problems?" He asked. "There's just one I can't get."

Regina chuckled lightly. "You're going to be useless in the morning if you don't sleep. When you wake up, I'll make you breakfast and go over it with you. Okay?"

"But—"

"David and I will be fine," she said. "You don't need to worry about us until we stop talking about our problems. And that's not going to happen. You know why?"

"Because he's your True Love."

She smiled. Most teenage boys would have cringed at the cliché of True Love, but her son believed in fairytales and the magic of True Love. "That's right," she said quietly before standing and kissing him on top of his head. "Now go back to sleep. I've got a husband to apologize to."

He chuckled lightly. Her son was so mature. Most boys around town didn't understand the dynamics of a committed relationship. They ran around hooking up with random girls and breaking their hearts. But Henry Mills wanted True Love. True Love like his adoptive mother had with his stepfather. And he understood that real relationships meant that not only would there be affection, but there would also be tension and arguments. But it didn't stop him from worrying about his mom. "Okay," he said.

Henry gave Regina a big hug, the tiny woman wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you, Henry. You're such a good son."

"I love you too, mom. I know I was kind of a shit when I was a kid, but you've always been a good mom. I'm sorry."

She smiled, her cheek pressed against his chest. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Henry." She gave him another squeeze and sent him off to bed.

David finally got Cora to fall back to sleep in his arms. She was clutching his shirt tightly, so he had resolved to stay in the rocking chair so as not to disturb her.

"Do you remember the night Archie came back?"

David looked toward the door where his wife stood, one hand holding the doorframe and the other holding one of David's flannels.

"I'd been hiding out in the crypt. I'd been there for a few days, and I had a mirror on which I could see Henry. And while I was watching, Dr. Hopper showed up at the apartment." She took a few steps into the room. "Everyone immediately started celebrating and calling their friends to come over because Archie was alright." She played with the object in her hand. "And it wasn't until a few minutes later that I realized you weren't in the apartment anymore."

"I'd gone to find you."

Regina nodded in agreement. "You had. And it took me a while to realize that. Then you showed up in my vault."

"Henry had told me a couple days prior that's probably where you were."

"He's always been smart," she beamed. Regina took a few more cautious steps toward her husband. "You showed up and stormed inside, frantically trying to find me. And even though I'd figured out you were coming, I was still surprised."

"You'd been crying," he said softly.

"I'd been crying," Regina parroted. "I thought I'd lost everything. And then you walked in and hugged me. I never expected it." They looked into each other's eyes as they told the story, never looking away.

"And I kept saying, 'I'm so sorry, Regina. We all are. We should have believed you,'" he said. "And we should have." He stood and put baby Cora back in her crib.

"And then you noticed I was shivering."

"It was cold in the vault."

"So you took off your flannel—"

"And wrapped it around your shoulders." He took the one in her hands, the same one from that night, and draped it over her shoulders.

"You saved me that night. You saved me when my mother died. You saved me from Greg and Tamara. You saved me from losing Henry in Neverland…You saved me when I was almost left there."

"That was the moment I knew I loved you," he said. "Even before my divorce, I fell in love with you. I couldn't imagine leaving you there. I would have rather spent all of my days in Neverland than have to spend an hour without you in my life."

She choked out a quiet sob, her happiness filling her with warmth. "I would have rather just left Rumple there."

He chuckled quietly at her joke. "I will never leave you behind, Regina," he told her. "Never."

She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him close. His arms embraced her shoulder, one hand pressing her head closer to him. "David, I fell in love with you for everything that you are. And none of that has anything to do with your brother." She pulled back just enough to look up at him. "I fell in love with you because ever since that day in my vault, you've never stopped believing in me… You never gave up on me. Even when everyone else did…I'm sorry that I made you feel like you were my second choice. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you from the beginning…I will always love James. Just like I will always love Daniel. But _you _are my True Love. You're the man I want to spend the rest of my life with." She reached up and cupped his face. "That is if you'll still have me."

David looked into his wife's glistening eyes and leaned closer, taking her full lips against his in the most passionate kiss they'd shared since their wedding. "I love you, Gina. I told you I'd never leave you behind. And I meant it."

"I love you, David."

"And I love you, Gina."


End file.
